He’d even bought a dildo because Kyle could come twice to Forrester’s every once. Of course, he’d inserted it in his own ass the first night, and Kyle rode him—totally hot!
Kyle paused at the doorway and looked back at Forrester. “You gonna just lay there like that or join me in the shower? We’re supposed to meet Lucas in half an hour.”
Grinning, Forrester managed to crawl from the bed. If he got Kyle in the shower, they might be a little late.
THE FADED sign above the door read Galaxy Comics, with a cartoonish spaceship painted underneath. Galaxy bought, sold, and traded both vintage and new comic books. Though modern kids were more into gaming, the purists like Forrester kept the place in business. With online sales and the collectibles, the store didn’t hurt for business. And now that Gilead was becoming so popular, they were busier than ever.
“I haven’t been in here,” Kyle told him. “I’ve seen it, but I’ve never been into comics.”
The excitement of sharing the place with his boyfriend made Forrester giddy. He held open the door and gestured him inside. “That’s about to change.”
“Is it okay for Jasper to come in?”
“Yeah, Benny won’t care.”
“Greetings, Forrester,” the fat man behind the counter said. “I thought you might have been assimilated into the Borg. Where have you been hiding?”
Forrester was pleased that Kyle grinned at the strange greeting. “Nowhere particular. Just working.”
So fat his wrinkles barely showed, Benny looked almost the same as he had the day Forrester met him. Just fatter and grayer.
“Benny, this is Kyle.”
“Greetings, Kyle.” Benny rolled off his stool and came out from behind the counter.
Kyle shook his hand. “Hi, it’s nice to meet you.”
“Are you the boyfriend we’ve been hearing about?”
Kyle arched his brows suspiciously at Forrester. “I think so.”
Forrester nudged him. “You know you are.”
“Who’s this?” Benny asked, seeing Jasper. He reached over his counter and produced a little green dog bone. Unable to really bend, he held it out and Jasper propped his front paws on Benny’s knees when he spied the treat.
“Jasper,” Kyle said.
“Greetings and salutations, little Jasper.” Benny gave him the biscuit.
“Get down.” Kyle tugged lightly on the leash. Jasper obeyed, then began crunching and making a mess.
“That’s okay,” Benny assured him. “Dogs are my favorite people.”
Kyle grinned, then looked around. Forrester’s smile widened when he saw his lover’s appreciation.
“What comics are you into?” Benny asked Kyle.
“I’ve never really read comics before.”
Benny gaped and stared.
Before Forrester could defend him, Kyle raised his hands. “Hey, I played D and D in college. I see all the superhero movies. I’ve just never read comics. But I could easily be brought to the dark side.”
Benny nodded his approval. “Come with me, Jasper. And bring your human. I’ll show you guys what we got.”
Kyle threw a backward glance at Forrester as Benny led him to the section of the store with the bins of Marvels. It was awesome being able to share this place with a lover who’d appreciate it. Most people bitched that the place smelled musty, and they would be right. The place did have a funk after the numerous floodings that had struck downtown Gilead.
But that was part of its charm.
“Hey, Forrester.”
Startled, he turned from browsing the bins of plastic-sleeved comics to find Lucas standing behind him, wearing X-ray glasses. Freckles had popped out on his face from all the Florida sunshine, and the tip of his nose peeled a bit from a healing sunburn.
“What the hell do you have on, Lucas?”
Lucas gave him a defensive look. “You said to keep a low profile when you brought your boyfriend in. Benny had these in the back.”
“Jeez, that’s not what I meant, ya meathead.”
“How was I supposed to know?” His brown hair had been highlighted copper from the sun, and the big grin he sported betrayed the innocent act. “You’ve never brought a guy in here before.”
True, he never had. Not only because most of the idiots he’d dated would’ve thought the old place was gross, but Forrester had too many private memories with Lucas he hadn’t wanted anyone else to be a part of. Lucas still worked at Galaxy every other Tuesday, and since Kyle had taken to using vacation days during the week when Forrester was off, his BFF and boyfriend could finally meet.
“How was Disney with the mothers?” Forrester asked.
“It’s a Small World in the Tiki Tiki Tiki Room, you know, the usual,” he said as he eyed Kyle up and down lecherously, still wearing the X-ray specs. “You lucky bastard.”
Forrester grinned, admiring his boyfriend.
“He’s kinda preppy,” Lucas observed. “You look like a dork next to him.”
He glared at Lucas. “Thanks a lot.”
“I’m surprised he hasn’t started redressing you.”
“Maybe he likes me just how I am.” Forrester began riffling through a stack of Superman comics. Maybe he should get some grown-up clothes, instead of looking like a teenage geek too lazy to wear real shoes.
Lucas regarded him, and then a huge grin spread across his face. “Well, fist-fuck me on a Tuesday! You’re in love with him.”
Forrester threw a brotherly arm over his shoulder and pulled him into a half nelson before kissing the top of his head. “Shut up, freak. Now take off those ridiculous glasses and come meet him.” Lucas had been home from Florida for a few weeks, but working crazier hours than Forrester due to his extended time off. They hadn’t seen each other in a month.
He kissed Lucas on the cheek and grinned. “I missed you.”
“I missed you too, Frankie.”
Forrester shook his head at his teasing.
Benny had disappeared into the back room, leaving Jasper to sniff the smelly carpet and Kyle to thumb through the pages of a comic book appreciatively. He looked up and caught Forrester’s eye as they approached.
Forrester flipped a thumb at Dork Boy. “Kyle, this is Lucas.”
“Hi, Lucas.” Kyle smiled, extending his hand. “Nice to finally meet you. Forrester’s told me so much about you.”
Lucas knelt to pet Jasper, saying seriously, “If he told you about those letters from NASA, he lied. I didn’t do any of the stuff they accused me of.”
Forrester rolled his eyes, but Kyle laughed. “Nope, nothing about NASA.”
Seeming pleased, Lucas stood, and Jasper kept jumping on his legs.
“Settle it, would ya?” Forrester gently nudged Jasper down.
“Your uncle thought I should check out Alan Moore’s Watchmen.” He looked at Forrester. “You think I’ll like it?”
“Duh, it won a Hugo Award,” Lucas said before Forrester could reply, as if that explained everything.
Kyle looked at Lucas. “I hope it’s better than the movie.”
“Isn’t everything?” Lucas said.
“Speaking of movies, Forrester and I went to see the original The Day the Earth Stood Still. Have you ever seen it?” Kyle asked.
Lucas’s jaw dropped, and he glared at Forrester. “You took Kyle without me?”
“Well…,” Forrester hedged.
Lucas threw up his hands. “Unbelievable. You probably told him about the strings holding up Patricia Neal and Gort’s zipper showing too.”
“So I take it you’ve seen the movie,” Kyle said.
“Only a hundred times. And Forrester was supposed to go with me for a hundred and one.”
“Why? You’d just talk through the whole movie,” Forrester countered as his phone sounded in his pocket.
“Guess the only people you take to movies are the ones that suck your dick,” Lucas said petulantly.
Forrester looked at his phone, not recognizing the numb
er.
“Whose dick are you sucking now?” Benny wanted to know, startling them as he came out of the back room. Jasper hurried over to him, hoping for another biscuit.
Kyle laughed, and three guys and one girl at another bin started giggling, eyes wide at Benny’s words.
“Jeez, Benny,” Forrester said as he swiped his phone to answer. “Hello, this is Forrester. What’s up?”
“May I speak with Forrester Giordano?” a woman said.
“That’s me.” He rolled his eyes at Kyle, mouthing, “Telemarketer.”
“This is Shiloh General Hospital. We’re calling about your mother.”
Chapter Eighteen
“WELL?” KYLE asked. “Is she done?”
Forrester dropped into the chair in the outpatient surgery waiting room. “No, and they won’t tell me shit.”
All the fun of being with his friends had been dashed the moment he got that phone call.
Ma was having surgery.
What is she having done?
Kyle slipped Forrester’s hand into his and offered a smile. “I’m sure it’s nothing, babe. They do conscious sedation for all kinds of procedures. Your mom’s probably just getting a routine test. Like a colonoscopy or something.”
“I hope you’re right. But I got a bad feeling. It’s been over two and a half hours.” Forrester squeezed Kyle’s hand in thanks, needing the reassuring touch.
“Don’t be a doomsayer. It’s probably nothing.” Kyle had been saying variations of the same thing since the woman from the hospital called and put Ma on the phone.
Before Ma got his name out of her mouth, Forrester had fired off a half-dozen questions at her.
“Ma, are you hurt? What’s wrong? Why are you at the hospital? Did you have a heart attack?”
She’d answered with her typical attitude. “I’m fine. Would you calm down? I’m having a test done, and since they gotta knock me out, they need to make sure someone’s here to drive me home. I don’t know why they make such a big deal about everything. I thought having someone drive me home was just a suggestion.”
“What kind of test? Why they gotta knock you out?” he’d demanded.
“Don’t worry about it.”
Typical Giordano.
But Forrester did worry about it—the whole drive to the hospital and the hours spent restlessly in the waiting room while Ma underwent her mystery procedure.
“I don’t understand why she wouldn’t tell me what test she was having,” Forrester grumbled for the thousandth time.
“It’s probably some woman thing, and she doesn’t wanna tell you.”
“Yeah, you’re right.” He nodded, trying to allow Kyle’s reassurances to calm his anxiety. He couldn’t imagine dealing with this alone. He laced their fingers together, loving the heat of Kyle’s palm pressed to his. “I’m so glad you came with me.”
“Of course.”
Forrester smiled. “Hey, at least you got to meet my mom.”
“I don’t think she liked me.”
“Fuhgedaboudit,” he drawled. “She loved you.”
Kyle scoffed. “All she said was ‘Who’s this?’ Then she looked at you and said, ‘What? You gotta bring your friends like my private life is a TV show?’”
He chuckled. “She’s just mad she had to call me.”
“Mr. Giordano?”
He practically flew out of his chair. “That’s me.”
“Your mother is awake, and we need you to come with us so we can give you her take-home instructions,” the pretty blonde nurse said, her gaze dropping to where Forrester still held Kyle’s hand tight.
Blushing, he let go, proud of himself for not dropping it like in a game of hot potato. In light of what may or may not be going on with Ma, getting caught holding hands with his boyfriend didn’t seem to be as big a deal as it would have been in the past.
Funny how priorities changed.
With a nervous nod at Kyle, he followed the nurse. They went through a heavy door and passed another desk before traversing a hallway full of private alcoves sectioned off by blue curtains. The acrid smell of cleaning products permeated the place, stinging his nostrils. The hiss and pop of medical equipment made Forrester’s heart hammer.
“Your mother is right in here, sir. She might be a little out of it, but everything went well.” The nurse opened a curtain for him to precede her. Forrester entered, and she closed it behind them. “Maria, your son is here.”
The blood drained from his face, and the air felt suddenly too thick with bleach and pine-scented sprays to breathe. The image of Dad in a hospital bed flashed through his head. Ma looked just as groggy and pale as Dad had after that first heart attack. She also wore one of those shower cap things on her head and a light blue gingham hospital gown. The sight of her hooked to an IV made him tremble for a moment, unable to move.
When Ma spied him, she rolled her eyes. “Oh for crying out loud, stop hulking over there and staring at me like that. I’m fine.”
He let out a breathless sound and rushed forward. “Ma, you okay?”
“I’m fine,” she insisted, though he could see her wince as she tried to sit up.
“Just relax, Maria.” The nurse put a pillow behind her back. “You’ve only been awake fifteen minutes, and you might be a little woozy.”
“They had to knock you out, Ma. Look at you,” he scolded. “What were you thinking you could drive home for? Jeez, why didn’t you ask Zia to come with you?”
She waved him off. “Yeah, right. Like I need Sophia lighting up the Spaghetti Hotline with her big mouth. No, thank you.”
He chuckled at her cantankerous remarks, taking it as a good sign. “Well, I’m glad you called me.”
“I called you because you’re the only one who knows how to keep your mouth shut.”
Before he could reply, the nurse spoke to him. “Now, Mr. Giordano, your mother had anesthesia this afternoon. She may get a little nauseous. It’s nothing to worry about. We want her to take it easy today. No lifting or she might tear open her stitches.”
“Stitches?”
“Yes, stitches,” the nurse answered without any real clarification. “She’ll be sore for a few days, Mr. Giordano, and if her incision starts to look infected or bleeds, you’ll need to call her surgeon, Dr. Miles.”
“Where’s the incision?”
“None of your business,” Ma said.
The nurse hesitated, then handed Forrester a prescription bottle. “This is the pain medication the doctor prescribed. She can take them as she needs them.”
“What’s your name, young lady?” Ma asked.
The nurse turned back to her. “I’m Betsy.”
“Are you married, Betsy?”
“No, ma’am. I’m not.”
Forrester groaned. With the aid of whatever drugs they had her on, his mother’s matchmaking gears kicked into overdrive. “Ma, don’t.”
Per her usual, she didn’t listen. “What a coincidence, neither is my son Frankie. You two look like you might be the same age. Frankie, don’t you think Betsy is a pretty girl? And she’s a nurse,” Ma added with a wink.
What she meant by that wink, he didn’t want to know. Forrester threw out his hands and looked at Betsy. “Jeez, can you give her some more anesthesia?”
“Forrester Giordano, is that anything to say?” Ma scolded.
“Is that my Maria I hear?” a voice said from behind the curtain.
“Dr. Goldman!” Ma’s face lit up.
A short, bald Jewish man with a mustache as big as his grin, Dr. Goldman had been their family doctor for as long as Forrester could remember. “I was upstairs, and I wanted to check in on my favorite patient. Dr. Miles says you did very well.” Then he spied Forrester. “Frankie! How are you?”
He forced a smile he did not feel, his nerves still on edge. “I’m good, Dr. Goldman.”
“How come I don’t see you anymore?”
Because Dr. Goldman’s wife played bridge with Zia Sophia, and Forres
ter wouldn’t dream of asking him for a prescription for PrEP or explaining his need for regular HIV tests. He didn’t trust doctor-patient confidentiality to withstand the powers of the Spaghetti Hotline.
“I’m healthy,” he told him instead. “Guess I don’t need a doctor.”
“Always glad not to be needed.” Dr. Goldman turned back to Ma. His jovial tone took on a soothing note as he took her hand in his. “Now you, on the other hand… Maria, I looked at your lab work.”
Ma paled, and Forrester’s ears perked up.
“Maria, it doesn’t look so good. But you knew it wouldn’t, which is why you put it off so long.”
“What have you been putting off, Ma?”
Dr. Goldman gave him a reassuring smile to be patient, then turned back to Ma. “Maria, what did I tell you about keeping things from your family? You’re going to need them.”
“Dr. Goldman, I know, but….” Her words broke off in defeat, like a stubborn child being scolded.
He patted her cheek. “I know, but you’re here now, your son is here, it’s all going to be okay. I’m sending you to Dr. Charles Sullivan. He’s the best in the region. I made an appointment for you because it’ll be three weeks before you can get in to see him.”
“Why three weeks?” Forrester wanted to know.
“Because of the holiday weekend, his appointments are backed up,” the doctor said, referring to the Fourth of July.
Forrester sniffed his disapproval. Like people didn’t get sick on holidays. “Is it okay to wait so long?”
“Never you mind,” Ma snapped.
“I’ll mind all I want,” he snapped back. “Now tell me what the hell’s wrong with you.”
“My sewer-mouth son is the only thing wrong with me right now.”
Dr. Goldman put his hand on Ma, cutting off her tirade. “Maria.”
She quieted instantly.
He handed Forrester a business card with an appointment time. “I set up your doctor appointment. It was the first one available, so you will make this work into your schedule, Maria. You’ve put this off far too long.” Then his face brightened once more. “Now, I want you to go home, rest, and maybe have a nice chat with Frankie. You have a great family, and you’re gonna need them.”
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